Game apparatus



Sept. 14, 1937.

. W. E. BRUMBELOW GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1956 awe/rm WE. Bnwnbelaw Sept. 14, 1937. w. E. BRUMBELOW 2,092,905

GAME APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES This invention relates to game apparatus and is designed more especially as an improvement issued to me on June 12,193

5 An object of the. invention is to. utilize aprojector as ameansfor striking and shifting a spherical object capable of rotating in any direction, thereby to cause a change in the appearance of a portion of the sphere visible to the user.

'10 Another object is to provide a game apparatus requiring the exercise of skill in so directing the projectile against the sphere as to cause said sphere to rotate in a desired direction anda desired distance.

A still further object is to employ a plurality of spheres all dependent for their operation upon the movement imparted to one of themby the projectile actuated by the player, all of the spheres carrying indicating means or the like 20 adapted to shift relative to the opening or openings through which the spheres'are exposed to the player.

Another object is to provide apparatus of this character'adapted for use with check controlled mechanism if so desired.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter 30 more fully described and pointed out in the claims it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the game apparatus, the primary 40 sphere being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is asection on line 33, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55, Figure 1.

45 .Figure 6 is a detail view of a modified form of cover plate which can be used with the apparatus.

Figure 7 is an elevation of one of the spheres and showing a modified arrangement of indicating characters.

50 Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates the main housing of the apparatus which, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, is divided by partitions 2 and 3 into an upper compartment 4, an intermediate compartment 5, and

55 a lower compartment 6. An opening I which is upon the apparatus disclosed in Patent1,962,680

preferably circular;.is formed partition 3 near the front wall 8'ofhousing l and this opening is so proportioned f. that its wall :will cons'titute a 2 seat for the primary sphere 9 'locatedincom partment 5. Anotheropeningilll is formed in the 5 front 'wall 8 and islocatedto receive the front portion of the sphere while said sphere is'irestingv in opening 1. i ".1 Partition 2 has one ormore' openings 1 Lthere in each of whichprovides a seat for a secondary 10 sphere I2 supported in' compartment '4 and the openings and spheres are all so proportioned and located that; under normal conditions; the spheres I 2, whileseated in 'openin'gsifl; will lie close'to the seated sphere 9. Additional openings 13 are formed in wall8-an'd are-'located to receive the adjacent portions of; the 'seated spheres l2. f

The bottom M: of housing! is extended forwardly as shown at l5 so as to constitute'th'e bottom portion of a supplemental "housing IB 'GX- tending forwardly from housing I. The; bottom compartment 6 opens into the supplemental ho'using lBasshown at IT and extending longitudi nally within the supplemental housing and back wardly within the lower portion of housing I is a rearwardly and upwardly inclined runway iii. A forwardly and downwardly inclined return board I9 is located in the housing I between par- 7 tition 3 and runway -l8-an'd"extending upwardly tothe lower or front edge of this inclined'board is an upwardly extended deflector zll provided at the back end of a guide-stripll which rests on the runway and extends to the front end thereof. This guide strip can be made flexible so that by pulling downwardly on the deflecting portion 20 thereof; the. curvature of said portion can be changed for the. purpose of changing the direction of movement of a projectile deflected thereby. For the purpose of adjusting. the deflector, 4.0 a bolt 22 can be pivotally connected to the back end portion thereof and extended downwardly through the bottom l5 where it can be engaged by a nut 23. A spring 24 can be employed for holding the deflector normally elevated.

Any suitable indicating means can be carried by the spheres. For example the primary sphere 9 can be provided with a circumferential line 25 and the opening ID in front of the sphere can be partly covered by a concavo-convex cover plate 26 divided into segments 21 carrying suitable characters. These segments are intersected by arcuate slots 28 through which the sphere is exposed. Obviously when the sphere is in certain positions the line or marker 25 will be exposed in at least one of the slots and act as an index for designating the character or characters in the adjacent segments 21. This will be noted by referring particularly to Figure 4.

The secondary spheres l2 can be provided with any desired arrangement of characters or markers. For example, and as shown in Figures 4 and 5, each of these spheres can be formed with one or more clusters of segments 29 each carrying a designating character and cover plates 30 can be supported across the openings l3. Each of these plates can be provided with a segmental opening 3| through which one of the characters on the adjacent sphere can be exposed. If preferred, however, and as shown in Figure 7, a number of characters can be displayed in a scattered manner over the surface of each sphere and there can be used in connection therewith a cover plate 32 having any suitable arrangement of apertures through which one or more of the characters can be displayed at one time.

' In using this game apparatus one or more small projectiles'33'are employed. 1 These can be propelled along the guide strip 2| in any suitable manner. For example they can be shot from the hand like marbles or they can be operated with a cue or other article." In other arrangements, as in the form illustrated, a specially designed pistol 34'can be employed. In every case the projectile is propelled from a point at the'front end of supplementalhousing I6 and can be moved along guide strip 2| at any angle desired.

In using the game apparatus, the projectile 33 is propelled forcibly along strip 2| and is deflected upwardly so as to. strike violently against the bottom portion of sphere 9.. This sphere, as Well as the spheres I2 is formed'of a light material. For example it can be made of a light rubber ball which is hollow and easily moved. Therefore when the projectile hits sphere 9, said sphere will be given a slight rotation in a direction dependent upon the angle at which it is struck and obviously when the sphere gravitates to its seat, the marker 25 thereon will have shifted from the position formerly occupied and may indicate a different character on the cover plate 26. Furthermore when the primary sphere is struck upwardly by the projectile it will come against the secondary spheres l2 which will be unseated and rotated, rotary motion being transmitted to them from the rotating sphere 9. Thus the characters exposed through the cover plates 30 or 32 may be changed.

Obviously by the exercise of proper skill, the player can so manipulate the projectile as to cause the spheres to move in a desired direction and a desired distance. Thus it is often possible to obtain predetermined combinations of characters and to get a total number of points in excess of that obtained by an inferior player.

Although three spheres have been shown it is to be understood that the secondary spheres can be entirely eliminated if desired or one or more can be used. It will also be apparent that any arrangement of characters or other markers can :1, be used on each sphere and that the cover plates can also be varied to suit the tastes of the user.

What is claimed is:

1-."A game apparatus including an apertured housing, a sphere freely supported in the housing and having a portion exposed through the aperture, there being cooperating score-indicating means on'the sphere and housing, a freely movable projectile in the housing, a freely movable sphere interposed between the projectile and the first named sphere for transmitting motion, and adjustable means for guiding the projectile against the interposed sphere.

2. A' game apparatus including an apertured housing, primary and secondary spheres supported in the housing and having portions exposed through the apertures, there being cooperating score-indicating means on the housing and spheres, aprojectile, and means for directing the projectile against one of the spheres to transmit motion to the other sphere.

3. A game apparatus including a housing, a

sphere therein and exposed therethrough, said sphere being seated normally on the bottom of the housing cooperating score-indicating means on the housing and sphere, a freely movable projectile, and angularly adjustable means for forcibly directing the projectile against any selected portion of the bottom of the sphere to lift the sphere from its seat and to rotate it in any predetermined direction.

4. A game apparatus including a housing, a freely movable sphere within and exposed through the housing, a second sphere within and exposed through the housing, cooperating means on the housing and spheres for indicating a score, and means for directing a projectile against one of the spheres to shift it against and actuate the other spheres. I

WELCOME E. BRUMIBELOW. 

